Testimonials from others
“Maria taught me the wisdom of finally integrating all my skills and interests of what makes me a renaissance woman ~ the eggs, the milk, the flour, the butter ~ and turning into a delicious cake that could be presented into the world without shame, fear, and with liberation and trust. Maria taught me to un-niche.”
Wendy Sinclair, Toronto, Ontario ~ Leadership Facilitator
www.wendysinclair.net
“I hold my work with Maria with fondness as I remember her gentleness, compassion, and honesty. I deeply appreciate her for sharing her wisdom and helping me as well as other women as we moved towards a greater awareness and awakening. I went on to form a collaboration with two other women to form a women’s group. Our mission is to mentor and support each other with love and respect. We have grown to about 25 women and incorporate opportunities for individuals to shine in their creativity and personal accomplishments. This is a true labor of love; a gift to myself and others.”
Marty Jacobson, Grants Pass OR
“Maria is kind, compassionate and very skillful. She sees to the core of the issues and then offers up viable methods to work through them. It is so much more than “talk” therapy – Maria helps you develop a tool box of practices to navigate life’s challenges that are pertinent to your own personal history and experiences. The result is a calmer, more centered life with less triggers and more skills available when challenges occur.”
Cheri Elson, J.D., Ashland OR
“I met Maria 15 years ago when I was freshly out of an abusive relationship, a widowed single parent with no family support, full of grief and hope. Maria helped me to find my own strength and trust my inner guidance. With her deep compassion and world class leadership skills, she helped me to develop a relationship with myself that enabled the long journey of radical transformation from a victim of circumstances to a masterful creator of my ideal life. Maria provided therapy that enabled me to recover, then moved to coaching and mentoring me toward becoming a healer myself. During our long term coaching journey, I graduated college, started an artisan business and now I am living my dream of coaching other mamas along a similar journey. Maria is deep, dynamic, wildly intelligent and possesses unparalleled experience in empowering women toward personal transformation and cultural innovation. More importantly, she is deeply trustworthy and the embodiment of the feminine way of leadership that is paving the way toward a braver world.”
Sunny J. Lindley ~ Parent & Family Coach
www.sunnyjlindley.com
“I have had the privilege of working with Maria for 12 years and can say with absolute confidence that my life has been changed as a result. When personal and professional challenges show up, as they often do, the safety of the space she holds allows me to navigate my way with confidence and clarity. The depth and trust we have forged over the years provides the container I need to grow. My relationships are stronger, my business is more satisfying, and my life is better because of Maria.”
Becky Brown ~ Copywriter & Owner of iWrite
www.iwriteforbusiness.com
“Working with Maria has helped me integrate and appreciate all that I am…as a woman, mother, creative artist and human. Her insightful facilitation, all at once, challenges and guides me to look deeply and compassionately at the limiting beliefs that have blocked me from true success…and every week I have some deep epiphany that catapults me to yet another level of growth. Both my business and personal life have taken off in ways that still leave me in awe of where I was only 6 months ago! Instead of hiding behind wishful thinking and excuses, I am now fully participating in my own life and the proof is showing up in the exciting projects and collaborations that are happening in my career, as well as the overall feeling of confidence and happiness! Through her personal coaching and workshops, she has inspired me to step into a leadership role and I am finally a full participant in my own life. I tell all my friends and clients about Maria and highly recommend her work to anyone who wants to discover their true selves and live the life they want!”
Debbie Thornton ~ Photographer
www.debrathornton.com
“Through the most challenging of times in my life, I have turned to Maria, hesitant in the fear of shame, doubt, heartache, and resistance, only to have found love, acceptance, caring, encouragement and growth. Maria sees people with full receptivity in the here and now while recognizing their very best. From this place, she creates a deep experience of what it means to be truly human and at the same time inspiring full potential. Maria is the most genuine person you will ever meet. In the years I have known Maria, she has worn many hats: clinical supervisor, educator, facilitator, advocate, counselor and mentor; though it is the depth of relationship that resonates most and grows deeper in every moment. In Maria’s presence, I feel seen, heard, valued and profoundly understood. She provides perspective, offers skills and excites insight. All you have to do is meet Maria and you will not only see but feel how knowing her is truly life changing.”
Michelle Katz ~ Creator and Director of Oaks Counsel
www.oakscounsel.com
“My wife and I experienced a very deep connection, both outwardly with group members and inwardly with heart and spirit, in a 2 week training conducted by Maria Connolly. She was grounded somatically and emotionally, attuned and showed a high degree of integrity.”
Terry Rhoades, Ph.D., Sacramento CA
“In Maria’s group I felt welcome to bring my whole self. I learned self-relation skills that foster internal resilience, strength and wisdom. These skills live in my being, not just in my head and I am better able to access them in times of distress.”
S.L., Ashland OR
“I would recommend Maria’s group to anyone who is interested in self-development. It was a challenging, uplifting experience and a wonderful opportunity to grow in understanding of myself while connecting with others on a deep and nourishing level. It has been one of the greatest gifts I have given myself!”
K.E.
“To anyone interested in participating in a group that Maria is coordinating — I’ve attended two of Maria’s groups and both of them were amazing! She has a way of helping everyone feel cared for and supported. This was especially important, because the issues we were sharing were deep and poignant. She used a variety of tools (poetry, exercises, visualization) to help us get comfortable with each other, to get in touch with emotions, and to keep it exciting. I felt that she gave everyone enough time to really share what was up for each of us, while keeping the groups’ pace moving and dynamic. I loved her skills and her sense of humor too!”
Anonymous, Ashland OR
Insights from Colleagues